1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to advanced military grade communications jamming systems and, more specifically, to a Method, System and Apparatus for Maximizing a Jammer's Time on Target. This unique state-of-the-art invention will have use in any modern military organization that wants to achieve communications dominance and information superiority over any battlefield. The invention will add an essential, and much needed, communications and electronic warfare capability to any respective governments' national defense program.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern military grade communication systems today employ short, burst type transmissions that constantly cycle through a secret sequence of frequencies in order to prevent detection and jamming. Such systems are commonly known as frequency hoppers. Typically, these systems (both foreign and domestic) only transmit on a particular frequency for no more than a few milliseconds at the most. This creates a problem for those who want to detect and jam such transmissions as they happen so quickly. Practically, it is not feasible to simply “splash” the radio frequency spectrum with random noise in order to jam such transmissions. The reasons are that it requires an unpractical amount of power to apply sufficient RF energy to wash out all transmissions. In addition, there may be friendly transmissions that should not be jammed. Also, since the duration of the target transmissions is so short, it is not practical to have (for instance) a CPU that is programmed to evaluate signals, make a determination, and then command transmitters to jam. There is simply not enough time to engage the frequency hopping signals before they have moved on to a new frequency.
The jammer device described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/912,976 is sometimes referred to in the Electronic Warfare industry as a “wideband reactive jammer”, “surgical follower jammer,” or a “surgical reactive jammer” because it has the ability to quickly find enemy signals and then apply energy right on targets so as to jam those enemy communication signals. It has this capability because it uses a wideband digital reception technique to instantaneously detect the presence of enemy signal energy. Once the enemy signals are detected, they are then immediately jammed by using fast direct digital synthesizers (“DSS's”) to output RF energy right on those detected enemy signal frequencies.
The use of low cost frequency hopping radios, radio controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIED's), and low cost burst transmitters in military/non-military theaters is growing. These communications devices are perfect for insurgents or terrorist groups due to their low cost and availability. Thus, the need for a super fast reactive jamming technology in order to deny the operation of one or multiple devices occurring simultaneously is critical. This is especially true for U.S. and Coalition forces in theater today.
In order to address multiple targets appearing suddenly (and on any frequency), a jammer system must be fast enough to scan for and react to those new targets. In addition, the jammer system must have an efficient time-on-target technique to optimize the number of simultaneous targets it can be effective against by not wasting any time or energy. Furthermore, the jammer system must apply speed-up techniques in order to perform “look-throughs ” (the time the jammer system stops jamming temporarily and scans for additional targets) more frequently. And finally, the jammer system must do this in real time.
FIG. 1 is a prior art drawing that depicts the conventional surgical reactive jamming system's attack cycle process 200 (i.e. the repetitive attack cycles of a surgical reactive jammer). For the first attack cycle 200 period, the jammer first tunes to frequency range segment 1. The RX input is then turned on and the first “collection period” (for segment 1 data) commences. The first collection period is completed by turning off the tuner (tuners are synonymous with HF/VHF/UHF receivers) input. The jamming system then processes the received segment 1 data and turns on the jammer TX output on the desired frequency for a “TX Dwell Period”, and then stops jamming to do a quick “look-through” to receive and analyze the RF spectrum to see if there are additional targets appearing and also to determine if the earlier detected targets are still transmitting. The combination of TX Dwell, Collection period, and the analysis process is one single “attack cycle”. This cycle is repeated over and over again until the jammer is turned off. The problem with this prior art process and method is that during the tuning, collection, and processing periods, active jamming is not occurring. This is not an optimal approach to increasing time-on-target.
What is needed therefore in order to feasibly maximize a jammer's time-on-target (that can be radiating on any frequency) as efficiently as possible, is a System that has the following attributes: 1) The abilities stated in the aforementioned U.S. patent application to do extremely fast wideband scanning for signal energy across wide ranges of the RF spectrum; 2) The real time ability to do pipelining of System functions; 3) The real time ability to jam one or more targets within each TX Dwell period; and 4) The real time ability to calculate the most optimal DDS firing solutions, given the targets presently detected. The sum of these system invention capabilities is unique.
In addition to being applied for military tactical operations, such a technology invention would be extremely useful to the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service, the Central Intelligence Agency, etc. as the need to disrupt sudden, multiple enemy communications, on any frequency, has always been desired. Furthermore, with the recent threat of Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device type weaponry this invention is even more required today.